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Virginia Tech, ASHRAE Presidents Join 2011 Institute Board

The National Institute of Building Sciences welcomes an academic and an engineer to its 2011 Board of Directors.

Charles W. Steger, PhD, FAIA, president of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and Gordon V.R. Holness, PE, FASHRAE, immediate past president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), are the newest members of the National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors. Elected to serve three-year terms, they were seated at the conclusion of the Board's December 9 meeting in Washington, D.C.

Virginia Tech's 15th president, Steger has been associated with the university for four decades, first as a student, then teaching faculty, academic department head, college dean, vice president, and now president. Among his many accomplishments, Steger is responsible for the creation of the Center for European Studies and Architecture in Switzerland and the Washington-Alexandria Center for Architecture just outside the nation's capital. He will represent academia in the Board's public interest category.

Holness, a consulting engineer in West Palm Beach, Florida, served as ASHRAE's 2009-2010 president. He is a registered mechanical engineer, licensed to practice in 42 states and four provinces. Also a chartered engineer in the United Kingdom, Holness will represent mechanical engineers in the public interest category.

This is the initial term on the Board for both gentlemen. In addition, Board members Edward L. Soenke, FCSI, AIA, CCS, NCARB, of the Design Partnership, Architects; Susan S. Klawans of Gilbane Building Company; and RK Stewart, FAIA, NCARB, Hon. FRAIC, Hon. JIA, Hon. RAIA, LEED AP, an associate principal in the San Francisco office of architecture firm Perkins+Will, were reelected to serve second terms.

Chairman Jim. W. Sealy, FAIA, NCARB, HFES, Hon. ICC, an architect and consultant to the design, codes, construction and legal profession; vice-chair RK Stewart; and secretary James "Tim” Ryan, CBO, code administrator for the city of Overland Park, Kansas, will serve second one-year terms on the Executive Committee. Edd Soenke joins the team as treasurer.

The Institute said goodbye to two long-time Board members, Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA, FACHA, FHFI, and Mortimer M. Marshall, Jr., FAIA, FCSI, NOMAC, who retire from the Board in 2010. Skaggs, Chairman Emeritus of HKS Architects, served eight years on the Board, completing a term as vice chair and two terms as Board chair. Marshall, president of The Marshall Group, Ltd., Architects, served two six-year terms on the Board, the first in the 1980's and the second one ending this year. He served as treasurer in both terms, this time for his entire tenure. Marshall, who was involved in the Institute's founding 35 years ago, provided an enormous amount of historical knowledge to the Board.

The Institute's Nominations Committee recommended the 2011 slate, which the Board unanimously approved in September. See a complete list of the 2011 National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors.